1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a position measuring system, such as may be used to determine a reference position of a moveable object. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of the position measuring system in lithographic projection apparatus comprising:
an illumination system which supplies a projection beam of radiation;
a first object table for holding patterning device which patterns the projection beam according to a desired pattern;
a second object table for holding a substrate;
a projection system which images the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and
a reference frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
The term “patterning device” should be broadly interpreted as referring to a device that can be used to endow an incoming radiation beam with a patterned cross-section, corresponding to a pattern that is to be created in a target portion of the substrate; the term “light valve” has also been used in this context. Generally, the pattern will correspond to a particular functional layer in a device being created in the target portion, such as an integrated circuit or other device (see below). Examples of such patterning means include:
A mask held by said first object table. The concept of a mask is well known in lithography, and its includes mask types such as binary, alternating phase-shift, and attenuated phase-shift, as well as various hybrid mask types. Placement of such a mask in the projection beam causes selective transmission (in the case of a transmissive mask) or reflection (in the case of a reflective mask) of the radiation impinging on the mask, according to the pattern on the mask. The first object table ensures that the mask can be held at a desired position in the incoming projection beam, and that it can be moved relative to the beam if so desired.
A programmable mirror array held by a structure, which is referred to as first object table. An example of such a device is a matrix-addressable surface having a viscoelastic control layer and a reflective surface. The basic principle behind such an apparatus is that (for example) addressed areas of the reflective surface reflect incident light as diffracted light, whereas unaddressed areas reflect incident light as undiffracted light. Using an appropriate filter, the said undiffracted light can be filtered out of the reflected beam, leaving only the diffracted light behind; in this manner, the beam becomes patterned according to the addressing pattern of the matrix-addressable surface. The required matrix addressing can be performed using suitable electronic means. More information on such mirror arrays can be gleaned, for example, from U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,296,891 and 5,523,193, which are incorporated herein by reference.
A programmable LCD array held by a structure, which is referred to as first object table. An example of such a construction is given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,872, which is incorporated herein by reference.
For purposes of simplicity, the rest of this text may, at certain locations, specifically direct itself to examples involving a mask; however, the general principles discussed in such instances should be seen in the broader context of the patterning means as hereabove set forth.
The projection system may hereinafter be referred to as the “lens”; however, this term should be broadly interpreted as encompassing various types of projection system, including refractive optics, reflective optics, and catadioptric systems, for example. The illumination system may also include components operating according to any of these design types for directing, shaping or controlling the projection beam of radiation, and such components may also be referred to below, collectively or singularly, as a “lens”. In addition, the first and second object tables may be referred to as the “mask table” and the “substrate table”, respectively.
Lithographic projection apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, the patterning means may generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (comprising one or more dies) on a substrate (silicon wafer) that has been coated with a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single wafer will contain a whole network of adjacent target portions that are successively irradiated via the projection system, one at a time. In current apparatus, employing patterning by a mask on a mask table, a distinction can be made between two different types of machine. In one type of lithographic projection apparatus, each target portion is irradiated by exposing the entire mask pattern onto the target portion at once; such an apparatus is commonly referred to as a wafer stepper. In an alternative apparatus—commonly referred to as a step-and-scan apparatus—each target portion is irradiated by progressively scanning the mask pattern under the projection beam in a given reference direction (the “scanning” direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate table parallel or anti-parallel to this direction; since, in general, the projection system will have a magnification factor M (generally <1), the speed V at which the substrate table is scanned will be a factor M times that at which the mask table is scanned. More information with regard to lithographic devices as here described can be gleaned, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,792, incorporated herein by reference.
In general, apparatus of this type contained a single first object (mask) table and a single second object (substrate) table. However, machines are becoming available in which there are at least two independently movable substrate tables; see, for example, the multi-stage apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,441 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,262,796, incorporated herein by reference. The basic operating principle behind such a multi-stage apparatus is that, while a first substrate table is underneath the projection system so as to allow exposure of a first substrate located on that table, a second substrate table can run to a loading position, discharge an exposed substrate, pick up a new substrate, perform some initial metrology steps on the new substrate, and then stand by to transfer this new substrate to the exposure position underneath the projection system as soon as exposure of the first substrate is completed, whence the cycle repeats itself; in this manner, it is possible to achieve a substantially increased machine throughout, which in turn improves the cost of ownership of the machine.
In a lithographic apparatus, the size of features that can be imaged onto the substrate is limited by the wavelength of the projection radiation. To produce integrated circuits with a higher density of devices and hence higher operating speeds, it is desirable to be able to image smaller features. Whilst most current lithographic projection apparatus employ ultraviolet light generated by mercury lamps or excimer lasers, it has been proposed to use higher frequency (energy) radiation, e.g. EUV or X-rays, or particle beams, e.g. electrons or ions, as the projection radiation in lithographic apparatus.
Whatever the type of lithographic apparatus it is necessary to determine accurately the position of moveable parts, such as the object tables, at any given time. Conventionally this is done using incremental sensors, such as encoders or interferometers, that is sensors which measure change in position rather than position absolutely. It is therefore necessary to provide an additional zero reference sensor, which detects when the moveable object is at the reference or zero position, to provide a basis from which the incremental position measurements can be used to calculate an absolute position. Such zero reference systems can often offer a repeatability of 1 μm or better.
In a substrate or mask positioning system it is often desirable to be able to position the mask or substrate in all 6 degrees of freedom (DOF). Six zero reference systems and six incremental positioning systems are therefore coupled together in a kinematic chain which can result in cumulative repeatability errors which are unacceptably high. Furthermore, the zero reference of the holder is often referenced to a vibration-isolated reference frame, onto which only the most critical metrology components are mounted. Zero references of encoder systems for coarse positioning do not fit into this category and so are mounted on separate structures, the position of which remains undefined at micrometer level relative to the isolated reference frame.